Stephen Colbert says the chaos unfolding in Afghanistan should also serve as a reminder that America has its own Taliban-like “radicals” right here at home — Trump supporters.
The CBS host of “The Late Show” made the moral equivalence argument — equating brutal Islamic fundamentalists with supporters of former President Trump — during a monologue Monday evening.
“Why should our soldiers be fighting radicals in a civil war in Afghanistan?” Mr. Colbert asked. “We’ve got our own on Capitol Hill.”
The comedian’s commentary was juxtaposed with an image of flag-waving Americans outside the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riots.
“[Trump’s] policies are equally responsible for the Taliban’s takeover,” Mr. Colbert insisted. “After all, he reduced our troop presence from 15,000 to 2,500. The ceasefire he negotiated was directly with the Taliban. He didn’t even include the Afghan government. Then, he went back and convinced the Afghan government to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners, many of whom are currently fighting in Kabul, while also agreeing to pull all troops out by May 1. So you can’t put all the blame for a debacle you helped set the stage for.”
The host’s comments come against a geopolitical backdrop in which Afghan cities swiftly fell to the Taliban after receiving two decades of U.S. training and resources.
Footage from Kabul’s airport showed individuals frantically chasing a U.S. military transport plane hoping to escape.
“I stand squarely behind my decision,” Mr. Biden said during an address to the nation. “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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